March 2008 - Vol. 17
Plague
of the Firstborn and Christ’s Death on the Cross
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by
Yvette Rock
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The Plague of Firstborn
symbolizes the intersection of the Passover and the Crucifixion of Christ.
In speaking about the Messiah, Isaiah the prophet says,
For he grew up before
him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground….Surely he took
up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken
by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace
was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.(Isaiah 53:2,4-5).
The plagues find themselves
on the cross; they too are crucified with Christ. Though from the hand
of God, the plagues are a result of man’s hard-heartedness and rebellion;
indeed the Christ was stricken for us. The Apostle Paul writes in Colossians:
He [referring to
Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation…He
is before all things, and in him all things hold together…he is the beginning
and the firstborn from among the dead…For God was pleased to have all his
fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things,
whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his
blood, shed on the cross (Colossians 1:15-20).
Consider the blood that was
put on the tops and sides of the doorframes during the Passover. Referring
to Christ’s death on the cross, Luke writes, “It was now about the sixth
hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the
sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus
called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’
When he had said this, he breathed his last.” The plague of darkness came
before the plague of firstborn, and it returns as Christ is crucified.
This painting has all ten plagues represented, either on the cross or around
it. Jesus took the sins of the world, and the wrath of God upon himself.
This painting represents Christ as the firstborn – as that tender shoot
who came out of dry ground to give life and redemption. |
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The
10 Plagues Series
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plague
of blood
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plague
of frogs
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plague
of gnats
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plague
of flies
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plague
of livestock
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plague
of boils
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plague
of hail
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plague
of locusts
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plague
of darkness
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plague
of the firstborn
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click
on each box to view large illustration
| Artist
Statement
My work revolves
around biblical themes, imagery and language. I am drawn to the truth
and beauty found in the Old and New Testaments – from the harshness and
awesomeness of the ten plagues, to the glory and compassion of the crucifixion.
I connect scripture
to everyday life – using painting, drawing, collage and mixed media to
reflect universal experiences such as love, anger, violence, hope, disparity,
poverty, sickness and redemption.
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Yvette
lives in Detroit, Michigan, USA. She and her husband, Joshua, now have
three children. They are leaders for Youth-Works
Detroit, an inner city youth outreach of the Sword of the Spirit. To
see more of Yvette's art work, vist her website: http://www.yvetterock.com/ |
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